Everyone who is dating online wonders every now and then if the person they met is real and honest or just a fake. Most online daters can agree that profiles do not help reveal who is actually behind the other computer or phone.  It could literally be anyone! People try to convince others they are a great catch looking for a serious relationship, but how do you know this is true?

Online dating sites like Match.com have millions of users around the world. In the third quarter of 2018, the Match Group’s number of paid members amounted to around 8.1 million users. Match Group includes not only Match.com (its most popular online dating site) but also other online dating platforms such as OkCupid, Tinder, PlentyofFish and others. It is hard to tell with more than 8 million users which is a fake account and which one is real.  In addition to fake photos and inaccurate profiles, there are scammers and criminals using websites like Match.com to target unsuspecting victims.

There are all kinds of internet articles about how to spot fake profiles and how to tell someone is real. The tips go from identifying signs of a scammer to offering romance scammers lists and photos. Although signs and red flags are important to keep in mind when you feel suspicious, the only effective way is by hiring a professional to conduct a dating background check investigation.

Why not to rely on the warning signs?

Romance scammers change their game frequently. Sometimes they will be a successful entrepreneur stuck in a foreign country, or a student in a scholarship, or a soldier, or just a normal person down the road. Female or male. Sometimes they will request money, sometimes not.  Information and access to your phone or computer is equally important as cash for criminals hoping to blackmail you and steal your identity.  Online criminals’ stories change radically, from one case to the next, and the places where they operate from are numerous. The reason for all this change is that they want their victims not to suspect of them.  Knowing the warning signs can be helpful and they are good to know, but the truth is experienced internet criminals often go undetected by the typical online dating site user.

“Circumstances can change a lot, but there are things that cannot be changed and that is the focus of a background check investigation,” says John Wallace, Director of Background Checks at Wymoo International. People are born in a certain place on a certain date, they have a specific passport number and official ID’s. Their employment, education, documents, address, immigration and travel records, criminal, marriage and court records tell the real story.  Professional investigators focus on the facts and obtaining clear evidence, so clients can be safe and make an informed decision.   A simple internet search will not verify anyone properly, as many victims learn the hard way.  Only trained investigators with access to local records and evidence in the country where you need them can properly verify an individual in a foreign country.  Professional help is the key to avoid being a victim.

Is a paying member more trustworthy?

It is definitely not. Romance scammers make quite a profit out of deceiving people, so paying a membership is a small expense for them to use the dating platform. Like paying gas to go to work. Be skeptical until you have reliable evidence that your online date on Match.com, Facebook, Tinder, eHarmony, OkCupid or PlentyofFish is who he or she claims to be.  Waiting too long to see what happens could cost a lot of money or a broken heart, so your best option is to have them verified as soon as possible.  Knowing the facts early can save you time and money.

Have you recently met someone online?  Be safe, get a free quote today!

C. Wright
© 2018 Wymoo International

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